Week 5: TBLT vs. CLT

After doing this week’s readings, I was able to get a more in depth view of both task-based instruction, as well with CLT, the communicative language teaching approach. Both approaches have very different aspects in how they work.

Task-based instruction is exactly what it sounds like. It is instruction that is based on the presence of different tasks and being able to learn a language through several types of interaction. There are three major groups of people who look to tasks with interest: teachers, researchers, and testers. In the article by Skehan, there are several definitions of task provided. One of them are as follows, “A task is an activity which requires learners to use language, with emphasis on meaning, to attain an objective” (3). I believe this is a good definition of task in the realms of language teaching and learning, as well the statement that it “’bears a resemblance, direct or indirect, to the way language is used’” (3). However, when looking at it from a different point view, relating it to things people do in everyday life such as stated by Long, may be a better one. There are several approaches in research. I believe that as part of tasks however, the concepts of recasts, precasts, negotiation of meaning all play a part simultaneously when learning and acquiring a language. Feedback is important in that learners are able to receive corrections and the like to better their understanding.

CLT on the other hand is a very different approach to instruction. This is a very popular approach in which the context in which a language is being taught and learned is not important. This aspect is neglected, while methodology is the main priority. As the information provides, methodology plays a ROLE but it’s not the only thing that needs to be considered when learning/teaching a language. I whole heartedly agree with the proposed concept of a Context Approach. While methodology may seem like the most important thing when we become educators, we also have to consider the fact there are more factors in the classroom and outside the classroom that are going to ultimately decipher how our students will learn the language. These factors include attitude (affect) of our students, cultural and social expectation and the like. These are concepts that often overlooked when training our pre-service teachers because of the popular emphasis on methodology when in reality, a context approach is the way to go.

Is there a way for teachers to incorporate task-based, communicative, context, AND traditional approaches to instruction, so that our students are getting the “whole” in language learning?